KEXP is one of the coolest radio stations on the dial! (Gather ’round, kiddos, while Grampa Dubbatrubba explains what a “dial” is… and what a “radio station” is for that matter.)
From the “About” page on the KEXP website:
“Embracing curiosity and a shared love of music.” And this week is a shining example of that. It’s “6 Degrees Week” on KEXP.
The DJs (real live human beings!) have to figure out a way to connect every song on their show to the one they played before it. Meaning they have to go deep into their well of musical knowledge to find links between songs that may not be so obvious at first blush. Same songwriter or producer, shared musicians*, guest vocals, samples…
*Today I learned that Tom Scott, who was the saxophonist in the original Blues Brothers band, also played the sax solo on the Wings song “Listen to What the Man Said.”
Yesterday, I learned that Mick Ronson (guitarist for David Bowie as part of the “Spiders from Mars”) also played guitar on John Cougar Mellencamp’s “Jack & Diane.”
Ronson and Bowie also co-produced Lou Reed’s Transformer album, so the DJ could segue from “Jack & Diane” to “Vicious.”
For a music nerd like me, it’s pure heaven. For everyone who tunes in, it’s an amazing mix, and one you won’t find anywhere else. Which is the point, really. Real people playing hand-selected music for folks who love music. Give it a listen here – just click the play button and enjoy every twist and turn of the musical journey.
Long Live KEXP, and the other rare and precious stations like it!
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